Revise Revise Revise (Can you continue this pattern?)
You’re all familiar with RIP (Rest In Peace) which usually refers to someone who is dead. Let’s take that acronym and apply it to your first draft…most likely, it should RIP due to errors and confusion. And it can rest in peace if you have applied the Writing RIP (that’s the Writing Revision & Improvement Process) to it.
Revise (verb) – to alter something already written or printed, in order to make corrections, improve or update. Synonyms: improve; perfect; update
Revising your writing is more than just correcting spelling mistakes, capitalizing, and adding periods and commas. Of course that is part of it, but there’s much, much more. It’s not uncommon for an author to rewrite his/her writing piece dozens of times. Think about your favorite book. It’s your favorite because it’s a great novel and it only got that way by all those revisions. What if the author got tired after the second or third revision and decided that was enough? Most likely, the book never would have been published and you would have missed out on that great story!
So how exactly can you revise your writing to make it better? Isn’t that your writing goal, to write better? Isn’t that what your teacher asks you to do, “Make this part better.” And what your parents tell you to do, “You need to write better.” WHAT IS BETTER? Use the Writing RIP and find out.
The Writing RIP
Print before each section. Highlight and make changes on the paper copy, then transfer them to the computer. Keep each part, stacking them up as you go. You will be able to see how your writing changed over the course of the process.
Read Aloud in a quiet place.
Slow down and READ aloud the words your wrote. It’s easier to HEAR the parts that don’t make sense. Your brain knows what it wanted to say, so if you just read it to yourself, it’s easy to overlook parts that don’t make sense.
Listen for flow and clarity.
Make any obvious corrections, including punctuation and spelling.
Ask someone else read your writing.
They should read for clarity, flow, understanding and any obvious mistakes.
Listen to their recommendations and make changes you think are necessary.
Highlight VERBS (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
Verbs are actions you can see (playing, biking) and actions you can’t see (thinking, hoping).
Verbs are a state of being (is, was: He is happy.)
Make sure you have a variety of verbs. Try not to use the same action verb more than 2-3 times on a whole page of writing. SYNONYMS!
If you have too many is/are/was/were verbs, try rewriting some of the sentences with an action verb.
Highlight NOUNS (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
Nouns are people (brother, friend), places (theater, city) and things (pencil, life), including names (Thailand, Mr. Souza).
These include pronoun (he, she, they, it). Have you used so many that the reader won’t know whom you’re talking about?
Make sure you have a variety of nouns. Try not to use the noun more than 2-3 times on a whole page of writing. Of course you can’t rename someone, so use your good judgment about being realistic. Again, SYNONYMS!
Make changes.
Highlight DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
Descriptive Language consists of adjectives (good, very), adverbs (slowly, very) and literary devices (simile, alliteration).
Make sure you have a variety of adjectives and adverbs. Try to eliminate all good and very words and give them an upgrade. Again SYNONYMS!
Choose some Literary Devices (see wiki page), but don’t overdo it.
Did you choose Imagery? It’s always a good to work with the senses!
Use Character Traits to help describe people.
Use the wiki Vocabulary pages.
Make changes.
VERBS Tense (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
This is an important step to non-native English speaker especially if your native language doesn't use tenses.
Events that happened in the past should be in past tense (went, had gone).
Events that are in the future should be in future tense (will go, could go).
Events that are true now should be in present tense (go, have gone, should go).
SUBJECT/VERB Agreement– Your subject and its verb should not be fighting! (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
This is an especially important step to non-native English speaker because you can’t always hear the fighting.
Start at the beginning and go slowly through finding the subject in each phrase. (Some sentences could have several phrases.) It may be easier to print underline the subject as you come to it. (“We laughed at our facial expressions…”)
Now look at the verb for that subject. It may be easier to circle the verb as you come to it. (“Welaughed at our facial expressions…”)
Do they get along or are they fighting? (fighting: We laughs)
Continue to the next phrase and find the subject and verb until you’ve completed the piece. (“…and Iknew my father…”)
“Welaughed at our facial expressions in the pictures, and Iknew my father and Ihaddone something special.”
CONVENTIONS (Print before highlighting if it’s easier for you.)
Spelling – Don’t hit ‘ignore’ on that squiggly red line unless you’re sure!
You’re all familiar with RIP (Rest In Peace) which usually refers to someone who is dead. Let’s take that acronym and apply it to your first draft…most likely, it should RIP due to errors and confusion. And it can rest in peace if you have applied the Writing RIP (that’s the Writing Revision & Improvement Process) to it.
Revise (verb) – to alter something already written or printed, in order to make corrections, improve or update. Synonyms: improve; perfect; update
Revising your writing is more than just correcting spelling mistakes, capitalizing, and adding periods and commas. Of course that is part of it, but there’s much, much more. It’s not uncommon for an author to rewrite his/her writing piece dozens of times. Think about your favorite book. It’s your favorite because it’s a great novel and it only got that way by all those revisions. What if the author got tired after the second or third revision and decided that was enough? Most likely, the book never would have been published and you would have missed out on that great story!
So how exactly can you revise your writing to make it better? Isn’t that your writing goal, to write better? Isn’t that what your teacher asks you to do, “Make this part better.” And what your parents tell you to do, “You need to write better.” WHAT IS BETTER? Use the Writing RIP and find out.
The Writing RIP
Print before each section. Highlight and make changes on the paper copy, then transfer them to the computer. Keep each part, stacking them up as you go. You will be able to see how your writing changed over the course of the process.
Events that happened in the past should be in past tense (went, had gone).